


Happy Birthday

by timeheist



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 01:57:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2091534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeheist/pseuds/timeheist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Amelia asks the Doctor if they have birthdays in the TARDIS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday

“Doctor, do you have birthdays where you come from?”

Amelia Pond scuffed her boots across the floor of the TARDIS, a meek look on her face that was rarely there. The Doctor – who was on his back, looking up at the bottom of the console as he fixed something he’d said was very scientific and hard to explain to little Ponds – blinked, lifting one hand to flap it patiently and continuing to work as he listened. His voice was muffled, but he sounded amused. “You’ll never guess how old I am, Pond.” Amelia pouted, stamping one of her feet lightly and crouching down so she could stare at the Doctor in his bowtie and his goggles, with oil in his hair and on his cheeks. She gave him a stern look, still looking for a proper answer, and the Doctor chuckled, reaching for his sonic screwdriver beside his folded knees. “Why do you want to know?”

“’Cause I have to get you something.” Amy scowled, looking almost worried. She opened her tightly curled fist, looking at the pocket money that she’d picked up and thrown in her suitcase when the Doctor took her away in the TARDIS. She didn’t know if it was enough to buy a present for the Doctor, or even if she could use Earth money on another planet. Biting her lip, she shut her hand again and put it behind her back before the Doctor could see what she was looking at. “And I want to get you something.”

The Doctor hummed thoughtfully. “You do?”

“To say thank you. It’s – it’s polite!” Then again, Amy wondered if the Doctor knew what polite was. He was strange, and he stared – she had always been told not to stare at people – and he jumped around the universe as though he was in charge of it all, like an excited child. Sometimes, she could forget he was a grownup, and treated him like she might Rory, or another friend at school. He looked after her but if someone had ever come to inspect his childcare skills she had no idea how well he’d score. After all, she’d nearly been killed more than once, and so had he. That was another reason she had to get him a present; he had saved her life loads of times. And she couldn’t really save his very well.

The Doctor frowned at the underside of the console, and then pulled off his goggles and slid out from underneath it. Amelia held her place, looking down at him awkwardly, and wiping his hands down absently on his trousers the Doctor stood up and put both oil-stained palms on her shoulders. He squeezed, then pulled her into a hug, patting her head. “Pond, Pond, Pond. You don’t have to get me anything. And five pounds twenty three isn’t much use anywhere than Earth.” He grinned, and stepped back from the hug, raising an eyebrow and looking down at her. “I’m going to have to start giving you pocket money, aren’t I?” He straightened his bow tie then half charged across the room, an excited glint in his eyes. A little shyly, Amelia rubbed her eyes with the back of one hand and watched as the Doctor charged across the console room and then paused in the doorway to the study corridor. He gestured quickly. “Come along Pond!”

“What?” Amy didn’t hesitate in following the Doctor, pulling the sleeves of her coat around her waist and tying it off into a sort of cape and running across the room. She took the steps slower, a little too small to climb them well, but the Doctor had already started off down the corridor, lights on the wall of the TARDIS popping into existence as she passed. The Doctor knew his way around but Amelia didn’t quite know her way yet. She played with the end of her ginger hair, frowning at the Doctor’s haste, then hopped into the library as she saw the room light up with a blue-green glow. It reminded her of the sonic screwdriver. The Doctor was standing on his favourite armchair, opening a box on the top of one of his bookshelves, and Amy hovered in the doorframe. “Doctor?”

“I do have a birthday, you know.” The Doctor turned his head to inform Amy of his answer, his fringe bouncing as he turned. “I’m very old. You’ll know when it’s my birthday, the TARDIS will start to get all soppy, won’t you dear?” The TARDIS purred in answer, and Amy grinned, touching the wall like she was stroking a cat. The Doctor smiled and then turned back to his box, standing on one leg, exclaiming his success, and then pulling something down and hopping off the chair. He had something clasped behind his back and Amy crossed the room, trying to see behind him. He turned, keeping it out of her sight as they danced in circles, until Amelia rolled her eyes and stopped trying. The Doctor laughed, then crouched down in front of Amy, a little more serious. “But Ponds have birthdays too, don’t they?”

Amy froze, then nodded, biting her lip. “Yeah...” The Doctor scowled, then ruffled her hair and forcing a small gift-wrapped box into her hands.

“Happy birthday, Pond.” He patted the clumsily tied ribbon on top of the box and then let his face break into a wide grin. “Your first birthday in space, how does it feel?” Amelia gasped, her jaw dropping open, but of course the Doctor had known. Why had she thought any different. She smiled wide, hugging the box to her chest, and then threw herself at the Doctor in a tight hug. The Doctor held her close, careful not to squash her present, and then kissed her on the forehead, almost whispering. “Happy birthday Pond.”


End file.
